


Nothing Left to Prove

by asilentmurder



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Dog park!AU, Dogs, First Date, First Kiss, K9 Trainer!Derek, Kid!Erica, M/M, Sexting, Vet!Stiles, dinner with the hales
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-03
Updated: 2013-05-29
Packaged: 2017-12-04 05:50:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/707254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asilentmurder/pseuds/asilentmurder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles is dog-sitting for Scott and Allison while they are on their honeymoon. He takes their puppy to the dog-park by their house where he meets a little girl with a very angry-looking ...father?</p><p>Derek is a K9 trainer and the proud papa of 2 dogs. He's also stupidly protective of his niece, Erica.</p><p>*On Hiatus until further notice, sorry!*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this happened. Well, it's still happening, because I'm not done writing this fic, but I haven't posted anything in a horrendously long time. I hope to update this once a week, but don't kill me if I can't make that happen. Also, I have NO idea how long this is going to be. I will adjust the tags as the story progresses.
> 
> Disclaimer: I am not a vet, and I don't know if the veterinary opinions in this fic are accurate. DO NOT take my fictional advice as true.

“Scott, would you relax? I just got to the house, literally just walked in the door.” Stiles shifts his bag, opening the front door of the house to see an excited puppy. ”Dakota’s fine, okay? She’s even happy to see her uncle Stiles, aren’t you, babygirl?” Stiles coos at the Golden Retriever as he walks in to Scott and Allison’s house, setting his keys down on the hallway table and letting his duffel slip from his shoulders.

“Just make sure she gets enough exercise, Deaton said the best way for her to cope is with lots of socialization. Take her to the dog park on Fiftieth, she loves it there.” Scott’s worry is palpable through the phone.

Stiles sits down on the bottom step of the stairs so he can pet Dakota. “Alright, alright, would you go already? I mean _JEEZ_ , it’s your freaking honeymoon. Go enjoy it.”

“Stiles, we haven’t left California yet.”

“That’s my point! You’ve only been gone for an hour! Go, relax, be with your wife. _WIFE_.”

There is a pause and a small sigh. “God, I love hearing that.”

Stiles rolls his eyes at Dakota, who licks his nose in response. “Yeah, exactly, so go call her Mrs. McCall and stop worrying about us.”

“I’m not worried about you at all, Stiles.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Call you when we land in Hawaii! Gotta go!”

“What? No, wait- Scott-” The line goes dead and Stiles glares at his phone. “Bastard.” Dakota yips and Stiles grabs her face to give her a big kiss on the snout. She pulls back, a hot breath of air shooting from her nose. Stiles laughs, ruffling her fur, and stands to find her leash.

Ten minutes later, they jog over to the dog park. Stiles lets Dakota off the leash once they’re in the gate trap.

“You behave yourself, young lady.” He warns her sternly, but she just whines at the closed gate. Stiles opens it, granting her the freedom to take off across the park toward a group of dogs running around the obstacle course.

“You have a very pretty dog.”

Stiles turns, sees a little blonde girl holding a pink leash, and smiles. “Thank you; she’s my brother’s dog though. Do you have a dog?”

The little girl nods, pointing to a big white husky lying in the grass next to a couple sitting in fold-out chairs. “That’s Luna. Mommy says she’s not mine yet, but if I behave, I can have her.”

Stiles nods, noticing the girl’s parents’ glare in his direction. The woman has her hand up in a beckoning motion toward her daughter, and the man is watching Stiles peculiarly. “Luna’s very pretty.”

The girl smiles, but before she can say anything else, a woman’s voice calls out sharply. “Erica! Come get some water!” Erica waves at Stiles and darts away. Stiles sends a friendly wave at the woman so he doesn't come off like a weirdo, and she reciprocates with a smile.

Stiles sighs in relief, standing straighter when the man puts his hands on Erica’s shoulders possessively. The woman lets out a sharp bark of laughter, causing the man to turn his glare towards her. Stiles takes that as his cue to get the hell away. He jogs his way over to where Dakota is playing with a German shepherd and a poodle to sit on the bench and laugh at Dakota’s playfulness.

~~~~

“Jesus, Kota, _relax_.” Stiles blurts as he drops his keys when Dakota yanks on her leash. She whimpers when he yanks back slightly. “Let me lock the damn door, woman!” He gets the key in the lock just as Dakota lurches forward, the strap of her leash flying out of Stiles’ hand and sends him tumbling backward. He lands on his back forcefully, the air knocked out of his lungs with a wheeze. Dakota is nowhere to be seen, but Stiles can really only see the porch ceiling anyway. He manages to sit up on his elbows a few seconds later and looks around.

Yeah, no Dakota.

“Scott is gonna fuckin’ kill me.” Stiles murmurs to himself. He hears a gleeful yipping down the street, so he collects himself and follows the sound. He sees, down at the end of the block, Dakota jumping all over the little girl from the park yesterday. “Erica!” He calls out as he jogs over. She sees him and waves.

“You’re the man from the park yesterday.”

Stiles nods as he grabs the end of Dakota’s leash. “I am. My name is Stiles, and this is Dakota.”

Erica giggles. “That’s a funny name.”

“You know,” Stiles says between heavy sighs, “I tried to tell Scott that, but he didn’t listen. I thought Leia was a much better name.”

“I meant your name. What’s a Stiles?” Erica brings her hand up to her mouth to cover a smile when Stiles snorts indignantly.

“Only the most awesome person on the planet ever!” Erica makes a sound with her tongue and Stiles scoffs, but before he can spit out a rebuttal, the man- her dad? - comes out onto the porch of the house they’re in front of.

“Erica Liesel Hale, you get your ass inside this house right now! Don’t you hear your mother calling you?”

Erica takes off in a flurry. “Bye Stiles!” She calls over her shoulder as she races up the stairs past her dad, who scowls at Stiles before slamming the door.

Stiles looks down at Dakota, who is wagging her tail happily. “Well that was odd.” Dakota yips in response, and Stiles ruffles the fur behind her ears. “Come on, trouble maker, let’s go to the park.”

~~~~

The next morning, Stiles takes Dakota to the park in the Jeep on the way to work.

“Alright, Didi, go for it.” He tells her as he opens the gate. There are only a few other dogs in the run, so he throws the Frisbee he brought and watches as Dakota leaps through the air to catch it. “Good girl! Bring it back, Dakota.” She doesn’t; instead she keeps running toward the other dogs.

“A retriever who doesn’t retrieve. That’s something you don’t see every day.” A voice rings out behind him. He turns, seeing a beautiful and very pregnant brunette woman smiling at him. He grins back at her.

“She’s a little slow, it’s actually hereditary.” Stiles laughs internally at his secret joke. “You look familiar, do I know you?”

The woman smiles wider, tilting her head. “I’m Laura, you met my daughter Erica the other day?”

Recognition lights up Stiles’ face. “Oh! Okay, yeah. She’s so cute.”

“Thank you, I happen to agree.”

Stiles motions at her belly. “Is it just Erica for now?”

Laura smiles. “For now, yes, but her little brother Isaac is due in about 3 weeks.” She rubs her tummy absently.

“Congratulations.” Stiles glances over to see Dakota wrestling with a Rottweiler. She’s pinned to the ground by her neck, and Stiles’ heart lurches into his throat for a moment before she wiggles out of the grip and nips playfully at the Rottie’s hindquarter. “This damn dog is going to give me a heart attack one day, I swear to God.”

Laura giggles, sounding just like her daughter. “You sound like my brother. He trains dogs for the police department.”

“God have mercy on his soul. I don’t think I’d ever have the patience to train more than one dog, probably ever.”

“He is rather tightly wound, now that you mention it.” Laura smirks. “The Rottweiler your Golden is playing with is his. So is the Husky you saw the other day.”

Stiles watches the Rottweiler rough-house with Dakota a bit more intensely, noticing the careful positioning of its mouth and body in regards to the younger Retriever it’s playing with. “It seems like a really well-trained dog; seems very conscious of its potential to harm Dakota.”

“That’s Beo, and yes, he’s very good. Derek uses Beo to help him train the K9s.”

Stiles glances over at her. “Beo? Like Scott Baio?”

Laura throws her head back and laughs. “No. Like Beowulf. It’s Derek’s favorite story.” Stiles just hums in response, glancing down at his watch a moment later.

“Ah, _shit_ , I’ve got to get to the office. It was nice officially meeting you Laura. I’m staying in the terracotta house down the block from you, so I’m sure we’ll run into each other soon.”

“Absolutely, Stiles.” She patted his arm just before he stepped forward and whistled.

“Dakota! Come on girl!” She comes bounding over and he clips on her leash, waving one last time at Laura before loading Dakota into the Jeep and heading out.

It’s 8:45am when he walks into the clinic. “Good morning, Heather.”

“Good morning, Dr. Stilinski.” The receptionist responds professionally, until she sees Dakota. “Dakota?! Hey pretty girl! I didn’t know you were coming today.” She coos, and Dakota runs right up to her behind the front desk.

Stiles shuffles behind her and unclasps the leash. “Scott asked me to watch her, so I figured I’d bring her in for more socialization instead of leaving her cooped up at the house.” He says while Heather rubs Dakota’s tummy from their position now on the floor.

“If you want, I can grab the puppy-pen and open it up so she stays in the front desk area?”

“That’s fine; just keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn’t run out the front door.”

“Got it, Doc.”

Stiles wanders back to the break room, sighing gratefully when he sees a pot of coffee already made. He pours himself a mug and dumps in a ton of sugar before retreating into his office. “Heather, when’s my first appointment?”

“Um… 9:15, Mrs. Spicer is bringing in Turbo for his shots.”

Perfect. “Thank you.” He has enough time to call Deaton. He dials the number and only has to wait 2 rings before the man picks up.

“Stiles, how are you?”

“I’m good, Doc, how are you?”

A soft chuckle. “I’m doing well. How’s the clinic?”

“Scott and I are taking good care of it. Actually, that’s why I’m calling. Did you by any chance happen to keep the blueprints for the building? Scott mentioned something about an extension, but I need to see blueprints before we make any final decisions.”

Stiles spends the next 20 minutes telling Deaton their plans, and then the first three hours of work doing standard shots and check-ups on 4 dogs and 3 cats. At lunch time, he calls Lydia to confirm their dinner plans before heading to the station (without Dakota- thankfully Heather brought her lunch to work) to see his dad.

“Hey, Joe.” He calls to the aging man at the lobby desk. “How’s Penelope doing?”

“Hey Stiles. She’s doing much better now, thank you. Helen was really worried last week, but you fixed Penny up real good.” He said with a grateful grin.

“I’m glad to hear that. Is my dad in his office?”

“Yes he is.”

“Great, thanks.” Stiles makes his way back to the small office off the main floor that is his dad’s office. He hears voices coming from within, so he hovers near the door instead of barging in.

“-and we really appreciate it. You tell Chris not to worry about it.” The Sheriff says as he opens the door. “Oh. Stiles. _Oh no_ , I forgot about lunch again.”

Stiles isn’t paying attention though- he’s staring straight at the man behind his dad, the one with dark hair and thick stubble and bright, dangerous eyes.

_Erica’s dad._

Stiles swallows his own tongue, because, really, what the fuck else is he going to do? The man clears his throat before saying something in a low voice to the Sheriff and slinking off, sending Stiles one last scathing look.

“Stiles?”

“Huh? What?”

“You okay son?” The Sheriff is looking at him, concerned, so Stiles clears his throat, adjusting his collar and nods.

“Yeah, sure. You ready for some burgers?”

“Oh, I get a burger today?” The Sheriff asked gleefully as they head out of the station. Stiles scoffs.

“Don’t be ridiculous; you’re getting a veggie burger.”

~~~~

After lunch, Stiles still can’t shake the weird feeling he got when he saw Erica’s dad. He ends up working later than the books were scheduled, due to an outbreak of fleas at the Beacon Hills Animal Shelter, and he collapses at his desk twenty minutes after closing. Heather pokes her head in as she waves goodbye to Amy, the last veterinary assistant to leave.

“Doc, you okay?” She asks, plopping down on the corner of the desk. Stiles sighs, taking off his glasses to rub at his eyes.

“Today has been crazy.”

Heather snorts. “At least Dakota was well-behaved.”

Stiles looks over to where Dakota is asleep on the over-sized dog bed in the corner. “Thank god. I don’t know why Scott is so afraid of her developing wrong; she’s such a great dog.” He places his glasses on his desk and stands up. “I’ll close up if you want to leave.”

Heather brightens. “Are you sure? I don’t want you t-”

“Heather, go. I know Jason’s got the night off, so go, enjoy the time with your fiancé.”

She jumps down from the best, kissing his cheek. “You’re the best, Doc.”

He laughs after her as she runs out. “I’m telling Scott you said that!”

“I’ll deny it!” She calls back as she rushes out the back door. “See you in the morning!”

Stiles chuckles, sitting back down and sighing. He looks over at Dakota, awake now, and smiles. “Just you and me now, girl.”

Suddenly, there’s a banging on the front door, hard enough to rattle the glass windows. Stiles abandons his desk (and his glasses, he realizes as he approaches the reception area, _dumbass_ ) and rushes to the door. A man- no, it’s Erica’s dad, _holy fuck_ \- is standing outside in the fading light with a distraught look on his face.

“Please, help me,” He says as soon as Stiles has unlocked and opened the clinic door, “it’s Zeus, he jumped the fence and in front of Peter’s SUV, and there’s a bone sticking out of his leg.”

Stiles surges forward. “Zeus, one of the Beta pack?” Stiles and Scott have been treating the K9 units since they took over Deaton’s clinic, and Zeus is a 2 year old male German Shepherd- Stiles’ favorite.

“I don’t know how it happened; he’s normally so well behaved…” Erica’s dad says as they hurry over to where a red Yukon is parked across three spots. The back hatch is open, and Allison’s dad is sitting with Zeus- who is in bad shape, _fuck_.

“Mr. Argent, holy shit. Can you carry him in to the clinic?” Stiles asks, taking a look at the damage.

“I didn’t want to move him, just in case.” Chris says, voice strained. Stiles gulps, pulling out a glove he had shoved in his pocket earlier. He feels the lower part of Zeus’ leg, sighing in relief when the bone is solid.

“It looks worse than it is.” Zeus’ breathing is heavy, but otherwise he seems fine. “We can move him, just be very careful. I need to stop the bleeding and get that bone set, then stitch him back up.”

They get inside, with Chris and Erica’s dad sharing the weight of the shepherd. They lay him on the table and Stiles gives Zeus a mild anesthetic before running to his office to grab his glasses. Everyone is silent as Stiles cleans the area, sets the bone and pushes the small exposed portion back under the skin. Stiles stitches the area closed before wrapping it tightly and setting down his tools.

“Okay, good news and bad news. Good news is he’ll be fine; the bone only broke in one place so he’ll recover nicely. Bad news, I have to keep him here for the week. If the bone doesn’t start to fuse in the next few days, he’ll need surgery to support the break. It’ll be a slow recovery, but when he comes out of it, it’ll almost be like it never happened.”

Chris sags against the wall in relief, and Erica’s dad sighs. “Thank you, Stiles.” Chris says softly.

“Anytime, Mr. Argent.”

“Stiles, call me Chris. Please.” Stiles just nods awkwardly. Chris laughs. “Okay, let me go make sure my car is still outside, and then we can settle the bill.” He walks out before Stiles can argue. Stiles looks over at Erica’s dad.

“You guys don’t owe me anything- not for this. Let’s just see how the rest of his treatment goes. I’m not charging emergency treatment costs for Zeus.” Stiles leans down slightly to rub Zeus’ face. Zeus doesn’t stir- he’s fallen asleep on the table.

“I appreciate it. He’s one of our best and I-” he hesitates. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“It’s my job, Mr…”

“Hale. Derek Hale.”

Stiles nods, and it’s quiet for a moment. Chris comes back in, and Stiles explains to him what he told Derek. They leave a while later, after helping him get Zeus into one of the medical kennels in the back, and Stiles sends Heather a lengthy text explaining what happened and what to do in the morning when she comes in. Stiles grabs Dakota from the office and they head back to Scott’s house, where Stiles passes out on the couch fully clothed.

~~~~

Tuesday is insane. He wakes up late and doesn’t have time to take Dakota to the park, so he pawns it off on Amy once they get to the office. Stiles has Eddie help him x-ray Zeus’ leg to confirm his diagnosis. The office becomes swamped just before lunch and it doesn’t die down until 4, so he has Heather reschedule the appointments for the rest of the day and sends everyone home early. He’s just about to lock up when Derek pulls up to the building in a black Camaro.

“Mr. Hale, is there something I can do for you?” He says, tugging Dakota’s leash when she rushes toward Derek. Derek squats to pet her and doesn’t say anything until she’s on her back getting tummy rubs.

“I wanted to check on Zeus.”

Stiles blinks. “Oh. He’s doing well today. He seems rather aggrieved to be injured, but other than that his temperament was good and he ate without a problem. I’d bring you back to see him, but I just gave him a painkiller, so he’ll be asleep for the next few hours until the night assistant comes to check on him.”

Derek seemed to relax at the words. He stands up, brushing his hands off on his jeans. “Thank you, Dr. Stilinski.”

“Call me Stiles.” He smiles. Derek gives a small smile back from beneath his sunglasses. Stiles is suddenly bothered by something. “Can I ask you a question?”

Derek is surprised by the tone of Stiles’ voice, but he responds. “Sure. And call me Derek.”

“Okay, Derek, why the hell have you been shooting me death glares since you saw me at the park?”

Derek’s face suddenly hardens. “Because I don’t like creepy men who hang around my niece.”

Stiles’ face contorts. “Your niece?”

“Erica.”

Realization dawns on Stiles. “Erica’s your _niece_? I thought she was your daughter!”

“What? No. She’s my sister’s kid.”

Stiles groans, his hands coming up in exasperation. “I’m such a dumbass. Laura said she has a brother named Derek who trains K9s. Oh my God. I’m really sorry man. Look, I wasn’t trying to be creepy, Erica approached me that first time, and then Dakota here got away from me and Erica found her the other time.”

Derek nodded. “I’m aware of that now. When I realized you were Stiles the son John talks about, I knew you weren’t a creep, but it had totally caught me off-guard.”

“You know what’s catching me off-guard? You calling my dad John. _Ew_.”

Derek barked out a laugh, all tension gone from his shoulders. “We’re technically colleagues, the Sheriff and I.”

“Oh my God, stop talking!”

Derek continues to laugh. “You’re a funny guy. Actually, Laura wanted me to invite you over to dinner this weekend, since Erica won’t stop talking about you and Dakota.”

“Really?” Stiles ignored the flutter of his heartbeat. “Yeah, that would be cool. I’m house-sitting until Saturday, so I’ll be around. Let me know when.”

“House-sitting?” Derek looked confused.

“Yeah, my brother, Scott, and his wife Allison are on their honeymoon, so I’m staying at their house and watching this girl all week.” He shakes Dakota’s leash.

“Dakota isn’t your dog?”

“Nope, I’m a lonely bachelor with no pets.” He laughs shortly before stopping at his own awkwardness. “Wow that sounded better in my head.”

 Derek chuckles. “I understand, I would be the exact same if I didn’t have Beo and Luna.” Stiles nods, not sure how to respond to that. Luckily he doesn’t have to. His phone rings.

“Excuse me.” He answers the call. “Hey dad.”

“Stiles, Melissa wants to know if you’re coming over for dinner.”

“Dad, I come every Tuesday. Family tradition.”

“Well, she figured since Scott and Allison are gone that maybe you weren’t going to. But I’ll make sure she knows. See you later, then.”

“I’ll see you guys at 6:30.” He hangs up and looks at Derek. “I’ve gotta head back and get Kota fed. I’ll see you around?”

Derek nods. “Can I come see Zeus tomorrow?”

“We take lunch at noon, so come around then, if you can. The office won’t be as crazy.”

“Alright, then I’ll see you tomorrow.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles can be really dense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY CRAP. I'm so sorry this took so long. I hit a plateau, and then finals happened, then spring break, then a new quarter started. Guys, so much homework this quarter :'(
> 
> This is shorter than I wanted and it feels a little rushed to me, but I couldn't keep y'all waiting any longer to get to the real substance, so I needed to get this chapter out. Sorry it's not perfect!
> 
> Unbeta'd.

Stiles shows up early to dinner, because his stepmother likes punctuality.

“Hey dad.” He claps a hand on the Sheriff’s shoulder once he walks in to the house. “Where’s Melissa?”

“She’s in the kitchen, finishing up dinner.” The Sheriff takes a swig of beer from the bottle in his hand before standing up, collecting the papers strewn across the dining room table. “I suppose I should clean this all up so we can eat.”

Stiles’ dad had married Scott’s mom when they were juniors in high school, and after the boys left for college, they bought a house on the outskirts of town where it is quieter. The house itself is smaller, but there’s a large backyard that Melissa hints is for ‘grandchildren’ to use.

Stiles walks into the kitchen, seeing Melissa at the sink straining pasta. “Ohh, smells delicious, Ma.” He kisses her cheek and goes to the fridge to grab a beer. “Do you need help?” He asks, pulling off the cap.

“No, Stiles, thank you. Have you talked to Scott today? I got some pictures from Allison in my email earlier.” She dumps the drained pasta into the saucepot on the stove.

Stiles nods. “Allison sent me a couple pictures too. Did she tell you how Scott cried like a baby when they left the dolphin swim experience compound?”

Melissa laughs, transferring the sauced pasta into a serving bowl. “That boy, I swear.”

Sheriff Stilinski walks in, stealing Stiles’ beer and taking a swig. “No underage drinking in my house.”

Stiles balks at him. “Dad, I’m 26.” He swipes the beer back, only to realize the bottle is empty. His dad just grins at him when Stiles glares. “Hey, dad, how long have you been working with Derek Hale?”

His dad turns, surprised. “Derek? Oh, maybe the last year or two. He works for Chris and Vic. Why?”

Stiles shrugs. “One of their dogs got hit by a car on Monday, and Derek brought him in. I recognized him from your office at lunch and I was curious why we’d never met before.” Melissa whisks them into the dining room, shoving a salad bowl in Stiles’ hands and a plate of garlic bread at his dad.

“He doesn’t come in often, it’s usually much less interaction on my behalf, but there was an incident a week ago with Greenberg’s K9 going berserk on a perp and tearing up the guy’s arm; now the county might be facing a lawsuit, but Chris hired us a real good attorney to fight it.”

“Damn, dad. Way to keep all the juicy gossip from me.” Stiles jokes as they sit down at the table. His dad laughs.

“There was so much going on with all the wedding plans, it got lost in translation somewhere.”

Melissa sits down and shushes them. “No work or wedding talk at dinner. Let’s just enjoy how stress-free our lives are now that it’s over.”

Stiles nods. “Amen to that!”

~~~~

Wednesday morning, the office is abnormally slow, so Stiles asks Heather to pull down Scott’s file on Officer (Jesus Christ, that is still so weird to say) Greenberg’s K9. It was from last Thursday, which explains why he didn’t know about it, seeing as Stiles usually has Thursdays and Fridays off. The file states that Ares, a 2 year old male German shepherd from the same litter as Zeus, seemed to be in good health regardless of “such a violent act” against a police suspect. Stiles spends the next hour engrossed in the last 2 years of paperwork on Ares, looking for signs of illness or behavioral problems, but by the time Amy walks in with his next patient (a fucking parrot, God, Stiles hates parrots), he hasn’t found anything useful.

It’s eleven thirty when Derek shows up. He’s got a large takeout bag from the Tex Mex place in the shopping center just down the road and a beverage caddy full of coffee cups.

“Derek, oh my God, please tell me one of those is a caramel macchiato.” Stiles lets the tension drain from his shoulders as he walks up to the reception desk. Heather giggles into her headset and rolls her chair away.

“Extra hot, double shot, and a pump of vanilla, just for you.” Derek grins, setting the bag on the counter so he can pick out Stiles’ drink from the caddy. “I called and asked.”

Stiles stares at Derek in awe, taking the extended cup with a suspicious glance toward Heather, who grins. “I also told him chimichangas are your favorite.” She stands up, plucking the solitary Frappuccino from the caddy and flitting away toward the break room with a wink.

Derek chuckles behind him, and when Stiles turns back, Derek looks hesitant. “I hope you don’t mind. I just figured it was the least I could do since you aren’t charging us for Zeus’ treatment.”

Stiles shakes his head, a smile finally coming out. “No, it’s totally fine, it just caught me by surprise. Normally my employees aren’t so conspiratorial.”

Derek deflates in relief, his eyes cast downward as he tries to control his laughter. “Ahh, entirely my fault.” He clears his throat, looking toward the back. “How’s Zeus doing?”

“Very well, all things considering. Come on, bring that stuff to the break room, then we’ll go see Zeus.” Derek follows Stiles to the kitchenette, and Stiles opens the fridge for Derek to put the bag of food away before they head to the MediKennels. Zeus is chewing a Nylabone in the biggest kennel at the end. “Well, here he is.”

Derek squats down in front of the kennel door. “Hey buddy.” Zeus wags his tail and leans forward to lick the fingers Derek shoves through the grate. “How are you, Z? We miss you.”

Stiles bites his lip. “I can open the door and you can sit inside with him while I finish my last appointment. I’ve got a foot-stool in my office.”

Derek stands. “That would be great, actually.” So Stiles runs to his office and brings the stool to Derek. “Thanks.”

“No problem, give me twenty minutes.”

It ends up taking closer to thirty minutes, because the Heartguard shipment comes in and he has to double-check the order invoice. When he goes to get Derek, he finds him asleep with his head against the side of the kennel and Zeus’ head on Derek’s crossed feet. Stiles can’t help it; he takes a picture.

“Did you just take a picture of me?” Derek slurs sleepily. Stiles nearly drops his phone.

“Um. Yes?”

Derek opens his eyes slowly, letting them land on Stiles. “If you send that picture to Laura-”

“I don’t even have Laura’s number…”

“Good.” Derek stands, Zeus lifting his head and putting it back in the same place after Derek exits the kennel. “Lunch?”

“Gladly.”

~~~~

They sit at the picnic table in the small park across the street, eating chimichangas and burritos while exchanging small talk.

“How long have you worked with Chris Argent?”

“Almost six years.”

“How’d you get into that field?”

Derek pauses, his burrito halfway to his mouth before he puts it down and makes a face. “Um, well. My ex-fiance is his sister.”

Stiles almost spits out his carnitas. “Kate?! Jesus fuck, she is a royal cu- shit, sorry.” He blushes, but Derek laughs.

“Don’t be. She’s my ex, so I think I know that better than anyone.” Derek sends him a reassuring smile. “We broke up about a year after Chris hired me to take care of the kennels. That was when Chris started teaching me how to help with the training, to get my mind off the break up.”

Stiles takes a sip of his drink. “Mr. Argent did the same thing with Scott the first time Allison broke up with him. He brought Scott to the ranch and taught him how to house-train an old sheepdog, even let him take the dog home. Scott named him Scruffy and had him for three years after that.”

Derek barks out a laugh. “Sounds like Chris, alright. He’s such a big softie. He helped me rescue my dog Beo from the previous owners who were neglecting him. My old neighbors kept him chained up to this dead tree in their backyard with no access to fresh water every day. So I took them to court after I saw how they were treating that poor puppy, and Chris’ testimony as an animal behaviorist won me the case.”

“That’s incredible, you know, that you rescued him. I always encourage my patients to adopt instead of buy. I’ve had to do so many unnecessary temporary fosters because some of the people in this town don’t understand that Beacon hills Animal Shelter is actually a thing that exists.” Stiles’ phone vibrates in his pocket, and he pulls it out. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.”

Derek nods. “No problem, I don’t mind.”

Stiles answers the phone. “Scotty boy, how’s the honeymoon?” Derek smirks into his burrito.

“It’s good; we went horse-back riding along the beach yesterday. I was going to call last night, but it was late by the time we got back to our room.” Scott replies.

Stiles snorts into the phone. “Sounds very Allison.”

Scott grumbles. “Yeah, well. She picked all the activities for the honeymoon when we were at that Continuing Education Seminar.” His voice perks up. “Hey, how’s Kota?”

Stiles takes another bite of his food before answering. “She’s good. I bring her into the office so she isn’t alone at the house without Allison there. Heather loves having her around, and she stays penned in the reception area or the office. She’s doing really well.”

“We miss her.”

Stiles rolls his eyes. “You guys will literally be back in three days.”

“But she’s our baby.”

“You guys disgust me.”

Scott scoffs. “If you had your own dog, you’d understand.”

Stiles glances at Derek, who’s digging a tortilla chip into the container of guacamole. “I think I understand a little. Anyway, Scott, I’m having lunch with an owner, I’ll talk to you later. Go have fun frolicking on the beach with your wife.”

“I do NOT frolick!”

“Bye Scott.” He hangs up, smiling apologetically at Derek. “Sorry, my brother slash business partner. He’s on his honeymoon.” Stiles rolls his eyes dramatically. Derek laughs.

“Scott is kind of like a puppy himself sometimes.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot you know him so well. Because of Chris, right?” When Derek nods, Stiles does too. “Small world, man.”

Derek clears his throat. “So, I don’t know if you have plans tomorrow night, but I’ve got two tickets to a comedy show and no one to go with me.”

Stiles just sort of gapes at Derek. “What?”

“Uh, I mean,” Derek rushes, “I know it’s sort of last minute and we’re still, y’know, getting to know each other, but it might be fun and it’s free and I’ll pay for drinks.” His voice rises at the end, phrasing it more like a question than he intended it to be while he stares at the table to hide his reddening face.

Stiles continues to gape.

No seriously. He just gapes at Derek. It makes Derek uncomfortable. “Or not. I mean, you’re probably really-”

“I’d love to.” Stiles finally blurts.

“-busy.” Derek stops. “Wait, what? Really?” He smiles.

“Yeah.” Stiles nods awkwardly. “I mean, of course, it’ll be fun.”

Derek beams. “Okay perfect. When you didn’t answer, I thought maybe I misread the situation.”

“Ha, no, trust me, if anyone misread the situation, it would be me. I always get my hopes up when a cute straight guy wants to hang out platonically.” Stiles loads a tortilla chip with guac and barrels it into his mouth.

“What makes you think I’m straight?”

Stiles chokes on the tortilla chip rather awkwardly, grasping for his drink and trying to wipe away the tears in his eyes. “Jesus.” He gasps.

“Derek, actually. Remember it; you might end up screaming it one day.” Derek says in a low tone.

Stiles whips his head up, cheeks coloring. His mouth drops open with a squeak. “Holy God.”

Derek laughs, his shoulders shaking with it. “Stiles, you need to relax. I’m not going to bite. Unless you want me to.” Another squeak has Derek laughing and raising his hands. “Okay, no, seriously, I can’t take your face right now. Seriously though, why do you think I’m straight? I’ve been flirting with you since yesterday.”

“You have?” Stiles looks confused, because he is. “God, Lydia’s right, I’m oblivious.”

“Stiles, I bought you lunch.” Derek points out. Literally, he points at the food between them.

“Yeah, but that’s because I’m treating Zeu- oh. Oh my God.” Stiles slumps. “I just thought that because you were with Kate…”

“Kate was the first and only woman I’ve ever been with. That’s why it didn’t work out.”

Realization dawns on Stiles and he jumps up from the picnic table. “WAIT, OH MY GOD. You want to go on a date with me?!”

“Duh.”

“Jesus.”

“No, Derek.” Derek grins when Stiles rolls his eyes.

“I can already tell you’re going to be a pain in my ass.”

“I’m sure the pain won’t matter when I finally get in your ass.”

Stiles grunts a little and ignores the tingling in his crotch. He points a finger at Derek. “Pick me up tomorrow after work. My lunch is almost over, and I can’t sit here looking at your fucking face while you talk that delicious filth; it isn’t professional to do exams with a hard-on.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blahhh. Did you check out that headcanon fic I posted? Do that.
> 
> Also, I love you guys. Here, you can have sexty!Derek because I love you so much :)
> 
> Unbeta'd

Stiles absolutely cannot focus on anything the rest of the day. He tucks his raging boner into the band of his boxers and tries desperately to think of anything but Derek. He even tries to picture sweet little old Mrs. Kinney naked while she describes her poodle’s less-than-desirable bathroom habits, but that doesn’t work.

Eventually, he realizes he needs to beat it [literally] back into submission.  “Heather, when’s my next appointment?”

“In forty five minutes, Ms. Martin is bringing in her Yorkie.”

Stiles rolls his eyes. Yeah, he definitely has to get rid of the boner before Lydia comes in. “Okay, I’ve got some calls to make. I’ll be in the office.” He excuses himself into the office and locks the door. Pulling up his SeanCody profile, he sees a new video featuring one of his favorite stars and clicks it. He groans. The other actor looks like Derek. “Fucking Christ.” He hisses to himself, plugging in his earbuds and popping one into his ear. With a last glance at the door to make sure it’s locked, he plays the video. His belt unbuckles and he slips his hand into his boxers.

Suddenly, his cell phone buzzes on the desk. He grabs it with his freehand, reluctantly breaking eye contact with the video to read the text.

_(760)375-4253 [3:39pm]: so is it *hard* to be professional still? ;) –Derek_

Stiles feels his dick throb when he reads Derek’s name. He types out a reply.

_Stiles [3:40pm]: you have NO idea. How’d you get my number?_

He rereads Derek’s name a few more times, his thumb grazing the head of his cock while the video plays. He lets his eyes close and fantasizes about Derek; as the moans and slapping noises in his ear get louder, his hand moves faster. His phone vibrates again, and he snaps it up.

_Derek [3:42pm]: Chris gave it to me. You weren’t the only one affected, you know. I came so fucking hard when I got home._

Stiles feels his balls twitch and his stupid dick throbs harder.

_Stiles [3:42pm]: jesusss. Confession: I’m locked in my office about to do the same._

Stiles gives himself one last pump before he comes all over his hand. The earbud falls out of his ear when he flops backward into his chair. He wipes off his hand on a tissue then shuts off the video.  The phone buzzes twice.

_Derek [3:46pm]: really? That’s hot._

_Derek [3:46pm]: just so you know, I’m like actually interested in you, not just sexually._

_Stiles [3:47pm]: Either way would work for me, honestly, but I appreciate the clarification. I am glad you’re interested in more than just my devastatingly good looks ;)_

They banter back and forth until Heather knocks on the door. “Doc? Ms. Martin is here early.”

Stiles sighs. “Of course she is. I’ll be out in a second.”

_Stiles [4:02pm]: My next patient is here, gotta go._

Stiles leaves his phone at his desk so he can’t get distracted and goes out to the reception desk.

“Well it’s about damn time.”

Stiles grins, pulling Lydia into his arms. “Babydoll, I’m sorry I made you wait.” He kisses her cheek then scoops up her dog. “Hello princess Mia.”

“She needs her shots.” Lydia says, scratching the top of Mia’s head. Stiles motions toward the exam room. When Lydia shuts the door behind them, Stiles grins widely. “What? Why are you grinning like that?”

“I’ve got a hot date tomorrow.” He tells her as he sets Mia on the table and grabs his tools.

“What?! With who?” She leans forward, peering down at his side table.

Stiles preps Mia for the shots. “Derek Hale. He works for Chris Argent and he’s got-”

“I know who he is; he hired me to decorate his apartment last year. He’s cute. He’s gay?!”

Stiles grins again. “A-yup.”

“Damn. All the good ones.” She pinches Stiles’ cheek affectionately. “You’ll have to tell me how it goes; he was one of those clients that made me keep spare panties in my car.”

Stiles fumbles with the vaccine bottle. “Lydia, Christ.”

She just laughs in his face.

~~~~

Thursday is the slowest day ever. Stiles has virtually no patients. Nor does he have very much patience.

“Hello?”

“Hey dad, how’s it going?” Stiles is sitting in his office, spinning in his chair. “Just checkin’ on you.”

The sheriff sighs. “Stiles, as much as I love you, I’m really busy right now.”

“Oh. Okay, well. Good luck with the cases.” They hang up and Stiles stares at his phone. Now what?

The clock in the office ticks to a quarter to three and Stiles sighs. He taps his pen against his desk in time with the second hand for about thirty seconds before standing up and wandering toward the dog kennels. Normally, one of the assistant’s exercises the dogs, but considering he happens to have a vested interest in the owner of one of his patients, he decides to do it himself.

There are only two other dogs in the MediKennels besides Zeus- a poodle who just got spayed and an older beagle with a benign tumor. They’re both sleeping, and Zeus is chewing on a massive bone. It’s quite amusing to Stiles, really, seeing the shepherd with a rawhide bone as long as his body. Stiles opens the kennel and checks the leg, petting Zeus all the while. Zeus stops chewing the bone only briefly to lick Stiles’ hand before going back to it. Stiles laughs.

He takes a picture and sends it to Derek.

_Stiles [2:56pm]: I take it Zeus is feeling a whole lot better with this mammoth bone to chew on._

It only takes a minute to get a response.

_Derek [2:57pm]: Yay!_

_Derek [2:57pm]: ….actually I wanted to say that I taught him everything he knows about chewing on big bones, but that just sounds wrong lol_

Stiles rolls his eyes but can’t ignore the blood rushing to his groin.

_Stiles [2:59pm]: So inappropriate! Shame on you :P_

_Derek [3:03pm]: You like it. Shouldn’t you be saving kittens or something?_

_Stiles [3:04pm]: Ugh, work is so dead. I’m sitting in the kennel with Zeus doing manual stimulation to increase blood flow to the break site. Usually I have an employee do this._

_Derek [3:06pm]: Damn. You must all be so bored._

_Stiles [3:08pm]: I sent 3 people home. It’s just Heather and Amy left. I’ ll probably close the office early. We only have one more patient today._

_Derek [3:11pm]: Ooh. May I pick you up early then? I figure we can grab a bite to eat before the comedy show. My treat, of course._

_Stiles [3:15pm]: That...sounds like a great idea. I can be ready by 6?_

_Derek [3:17pm]: Perfect. The show actually doesn’t start til 8:30. I’ll see you at 6 ;)_

Stiles leaves the now-asleep Zeus to go finish as much paperwork as he can before his patient arrives so they can close the office early.

~~~~

Stiles is an absolute WRECK when he gets home at 5:15. He ransacks his closet looking for  an outfit with the perfect combination of sexy and cute. He Skypes Lydia, ignores a call from Scott, and even resorts to texting Jackson for help. Finally, at 5:50, he is sharply dressed in a snug white henley and dark wash jeans. His hair, longer than he prefers because Allison wanted a “good looking wedding party”, gets wrangled into the disheveled look Lydia suggested, and after a threat from Jackson, Stiles forgoes the drugstore body spray and opts for a spritz of Scott’s rarely used John Varvatos Vintage cologne.

The doorbell rings at 6pm on the dot. Dakota yips excitedly at the door, and Stiles has to shoo her back just to open it.

“Kota, seriously, I can’t open the door if you’re in the way. There you go, sheesh.” He gets the door open and almost chokes on his tongue. Derek is wearing a slate grey button up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, black jeans, and a simple silver chain around his neck that disappears into the open collar of the shirt. When he takes a step forward, there’s a flash of a silver medallion underneath. “Jesus.”

“I could say the same. You look great.” Derek smiles, his cheeks dimpling. Stiles feels his mouth go dry. Dakota jumps up and licks at Derek, so he bends down to pet her.

“Thanks. Would you like a drink or something before we go?”

Derek straightens. “Nah, we can get something at the restaurant. I got us reservations at that tapas place on Main Street. Have you been there?”

“No, not yet,” Stiles replies as he grabs his cell phone and wallet off the front entry table, “But Allison loves that place; she’s always talking about it.”

Derek chuckles. “She’s the one who told me about it. I keep meaning to go. I figured this would be the perfect opportunity.”

Stiles grabs his keys and rubs Dakota’s head one last time. “Alright, let’s go!”

~~~~

The restaurant is loud but still quaint somehow. They sit outside on the raised patio overlooking the rest of Main Street. Derek orders them a variety of tapas and a bottle of Pinot Noir when they sit down.

“Is Villa San Giovanni okay for you?”

Stiles nods. “One of the few reds I like.” The waiter leaves to put in their orders. “So am I still supposed to have dinner with you and your family this weekend?”

“Ahh, yes, I was told to ask you if tomorrow at 5:30 would be okay? I know it’s early, but with the little ones, Laura likes to put dinner on the table early enough for them to read together before bed.”

“Absolutely. Fridays are usually half days, but because Scott is out of town, we’re extending it until 4, instead of 2. Should I bring anything?”

“Laura likes scented candles, but it’s not a requirement for you to bring anything. Trust me, Laura lives to entertain.”

Stiles smiles. “It must be nice to have such a great sibling. I mean, I’ve got Scott, but he can be kind of dense sometimes. He’s great for solving problems and caring for people, but Allison seems to take over his otherwise basic brain function.”

Derek laughs. “I’ve noticed. Well, there’s plenty of Laura to go around. She’ll probably say it herself, too. She loves people. Anything she can do for someone else, she’ll do.”

“That’s awesome. How’s Erica?”

“Very excited for Stiles to visit, she says. She wants to show you the trick she taught Luna. She’s very proud of it.”

“Oh really? How precious.” The tapas start to come out, and they spend the rest of dinner discussing the dishes they like and dislike and why.

~~~~

They arrive at the venue for the comedy show just in time to grab some beer and find a table near the front. The host comes on to the stage and starts the show, warming up the crowd for a bit before introducing the comedians.

Stiles swears he hasn’t laughed this hard in a long time. His sides hurt by the third comedian, and when he glances at Derek, there are tears in the corners of his eyes and his face is all red from laughter. It’s a great time, and Stiles wonders why he doesn’t go to comedy shows more often.

The host introduces the next act just then, and Stiles’ heart drops to his knees. “Alright everybody, this next guy is a good friend of mine and he’s fucking hilarious. Give it up for the handsome Matt Daehler!”

Stiles’ vision tunnels, and he locks eyes with Matt the second Matt reaches the mic stand. Derek seems to notice the sudden tension in the room over the applause, and he places his hand on Stiles’ forearm.

Nope.

Wrong move, buddy.

Matt’s eyes narrow briefly before he clears his throat and looks away, smile back in place as he addresses the audience.

“Stiles, what’s wrong?” Derek whispers at him. Stiles doesn’t answer for a second, just shakes his head.

“Ex-boyfriend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffie! More is coming, soon <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm about to get super busy for the next 2 weeks, and I wanted to post what I had written before that. It's not a lot, but at least it's not the super cliffie I left y'all with last time! <3
> 
> As always, unbeta'd, but a HUGE shoutout (cuz I forgot last chapter) to my wifey OpheliaArkham for helping me when I hit a plateau earlier this month. Much love, doll.

Matt notices their exchange and seems to light up. “In an ironic twist of fate,” he says from the stage, “my ex-boyfriend from high school is here, and it seems like he’s on a date! How fortuitous. Let me just warn you, sir, this one is quite a catch.” The audience claps awkwardly, and Stiles feels his cheeks redden. “Oh no. I’ve embarrassed you. Shit, um, how about I embarrass myself now? Oh wait, I’m a comedian, I don’t care.”

“Shit.” Stiles looks over at Derek, whose face is scrunching up in what looks like anger.

“Hey Stiles, how about we get the fuck out of here?” Derek says, glaring at Matt, who’s onstage cackling like a maniac.

“Are you sure? I mean, you were really looking forward to thi-”

“Let’s just go.” Derek stands up, grabbing Stiles’ hand.

“Aww, where are you guys going? We haven’t even gotten to the part where I talk about the terrible sex we used to have!” Matt whines from the stage as Stiles stands. Derek puts a hand on his back and guides him through the tables. “Typical, just typical. You’re done before the rest of us; how premature.” There’s another fit of hysterical laughter from the stage, but the audience remains silent as Derek and Stiles leave.

Stiles is shaking by the time they get out to Derek’s car. “What a fucking dick.” He breathes in deep, remembering his breathing exercises from high school. “God, now I remember why I had so many issues when we broke up.”

Derek is rubbing his hand down his back. “Are you okay?”

Stiles nods. “I’ll be fine in a second.”

Derek just continues to rub his back. After two minutes, Stiles is no longer shaking.

“Dude, I’m really sorry.”

“Why the hell are _you_ sorry?”

“Because my stupid ex-boyfriend ruined the show for us.”

Derek takes a step closer. “Listen to me. You are, in no way, responsible for that guy’s actions. He’s clearly a cockmonger and frankly, I don’t want to hear his stupid jokes anyway.”

Stiles glances at Derek, who takes one step further.

“Besides, he’s the one missing out, not me. I’m right here with you, so that makes me the lucky one.”

The next thing Stiles knows, Derek’s lips are brushing lightly against his. He brings a hand up to Derek’s neck just as Derek tries to pull away, and brings him close for another kiss. It’s still light, but there’s no hesitation in this kiss, and Stiles can almost feel the tension in the air around Derek dissipate.

“You know what?” Stiles asks when the kiss breaks. “I’d much rather be doing this anyway.”

Derek huffs out a laugh and Stiles grins. “Come on, let’s go somewhere else.”

They end up at the neighborhood park next to the dog park. They grab ice cream from the shop across the street and sit down on a bench overlooking the small pond. Derek tells him stories about working with the K9s and Stiles relives tales of his more horrific patients. There’s laughter and lots of smiles and more than a few snorts from Stiles.

When it’s time to take Stiles home, Derek walks him to the door.

“I had a really great time, Stiles.”

Stiles scuffs his shoe on the porch, kicking at the stain where he dropped a glass of wine at Scott and Allison’s housewarming party last year. “I did too, in spite of the whole Matt ordeal earlier.”

Derek waves a dismissing hand. “Forget about that guy.”

“For the record,” Stiles says as he remembers what Matt said as they were leaving, “those things he said were totally false.”

“Stiles, I’m not going to believe anything he says about what you were like a decade ago. It doesn’t matter to me anyway.”

Stiles sighs in relief. “Good.”

Derek steps in closer, and Stiles runs a hand up his arm. “Can I kiss you one last time?”

“You didn’t ask permission before; I don’t see why you need- mmmf-” His hand wraps tightly around Derek’s bicep when Derek swoops in to kiss him.

This kiss isn’t soft like before- it’s aggressive and hot and demanding. Stiles’ other hand grips Derek’s waist as one of Derek’s comes up to his neck, tilting his head back, allowing Derek’s thumb to graze over the vein there. Stiles parts his lips, seeking the warmth of Derek’s mouth with his tongue and is granted entrance instantly. There’s a noise from Derek when Stiles’ tongue meets his, and Derek crowds them up against the door. He nips at Stiles’ bottom lip, his free hand gripping Stiles’ hip so he can grind ever-so-slightly into Stiles. A small groan falls from Stiles’ lips, and Derek takes the chance to deepen the kiss, pulling Stiles close. Derek’s teeth scrape against his lips, smashing them gracelessly against Stiles’ teeth, but Stiles doesn’t care.

This is the best kiss of his entire life.

It ends too soon for his liking.

Derek pulls away gradually, placing smaller soft kisses on his lips until he takes a half-step back. Stiles lets his head fall back into the door.

“I don’t think I remember my name.”

Derek chuckles softly, leaning in to nip at Stiles’ ear. “What’s my name?” He asks in a low gravelly whisper.

Stiles feels his pulse jump. “Derek.” His hands are in Derek’s hair, pulling Derek over for another kiss, needy and wet. Derek groans, and Stiles tugs his hair harder, biting at Derek’s lips aggressively. Derek’s hands reach around to his ass, squeezing roughly, and Stiles’ gasp breaks the kiss. Derek lets his mouth trail down Stiles’ neck, leaving a wet trail of kisses peppered with nibbles on the skin there. “Derek, oh my God.”

“Mmmm.”

Stiles has to yank Derek’s head up when he feels Derek latch on to the spot below his ear. “Hey, no hickeys. I’m having dinner with your family tomorrow, remember?”

Derek sulks momentarily, and Stiles kisses the jut-out bottom lip. “Okay fine.” Derek concedes. “I’ll wait until after that to leave a mark.”

Stiles glares at the now-grinning Derek, whose hands are still on his ass. “No.”

Derek squeezes. “Yes.”

“No.”

Squeeze. “Yes.”

“Stop that.”

“You like it.”

“That’s beside the point.”

Derek laughs, kisses him, and steps back. “I should go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Stiles nods. Derek waits until Stiles unlocks and opens the door to give him one last quick kiss and get in his car. Stiles waves as he shuts the door, the Camaro growling to life the second the door is closed.

~~~~

“Lydia, you don’t fucking understand. It was the single hottest kiss of my entire life.” A horn blares behind him, and Stiles sticks his hand out of the open window to flip them off. “I think I might be in love.”

“Ugh. I hate you so much, you know that? Do you do this to torture me? WHY ARE ALL OF THE GOOD ONES GAY?!”

Stiles snorts. “Says the one who’s happily married with three puppy children.” He pulls up to the office and shuts off his car.

“Nuance. So did you suck his cock, you little slut?”

Stiles trips and spills his coffee at the door. “God damn it, woman, you can’t just SAY these things!” He wipes at the drops that got on his polo- it’s [semi]casual Friday at the office.

Lydia giggles in his ear. “You didn’t answer the question.”

“No, you ginger whore, I didn’t.”

“That’s a shame.”

“This conversation isn’t fun anymore. As much as I love you, I’m at work now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Have fun at dinner!” Lydia sings before she hangs up. Stiles pinches the bridge of his nose. _Why are his friends so obnoxious?_

~~~~

Thankfully, the office is packed today, and Stiles barely has time to process oxygen, much less think about the previous night. He doesn’t get to sit down once, and by the time he gets to drink his coffee, Heather is flipping the lock on the front door.

“We’re closed, boss!”

Stiles sinks into his chair. “Thanks Heather.”

She appears in the doorway, leaning on the doorjam. “You look like shit.”

“What is it, rag on Stiles day?” Stiles wonders aloud.

“Not intentionally. Don’t you have that dinner with Mr. Hale tonight?”

“And his family, yeah. Don’t call him Mr. Hale, that’s weird.”

“Doc, you should go home and take a nap or something to refresh yourself.”

Stiles runs a hand down his face. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. That euthanization we had to do this morning just drained me.” He stands, draining the rest of the coffee into his mouth. “Can you and Amy close up?”

“Absolutely boss.”

Stiles stops at the Yankee Candle downtown on his way back to the house to grab a nice candle for Laura. A text from Allison informs him that there is spare gift wrap in the closet under the stairs, so Stiles pays for the Magnolia-scented candle and heads home. He takes an hour nap, followed by a 20 minute shower- seriously, how did Scott and Allison ever get out of this thing? There’s like 18 different showerheads and it’s heavenly.

At 5:25, he’s dry and dressed, headed down the street with the gift-wrapped candle.

Laura answers the door when he knocks. “Stiles! Right on time.”

He holds out the small gift back. “Derek told me you like candles.”

She takes it and steps aside. “How thoughtful. Come on in. Dinner’s almost ready. Derek’s in the back with Erica and Jeff.” She leads him to the back living room where there’s a TV on mute and Erica is climbing over Derek laying on the floor. “Stiles is here. Stiles, that’s my husband, Jeff. Jeff, this is Stiles.” She introduces them then excuses herself to finish dinner.

Jeff stands up to shake his hand and Stiles sits down next to him on the couch. “What have I missed?”

“Oh, Erica and Derek are wrestling for ownership of Luna. A common occurrence in this house.”

Derek flips over, crowding Erica into the foot of the couch by her dad, tickling her until she squeals, “Mercy!”

“Maybe next time, rugrat.” Derek ruffles her hair before standing up and sitting next to Stiles, popping a quick kiss on his mouth, surprising Stiles.

Laura appears in the archway. “Alright, dinner-time!”

**Author's Note:**

> How are we liking it, guys??? :)


End file.
